Dinosaurs tramped all over Colorado, leaving footprints, bones and other evidence through much of the state.

But the Centennial State’s mother lode of dinosaur remains is in Dinosaur National Monument based in, naturally, Dinosaur, Colo.

Here, a carefully curated collection shows off the beloved behemoths to great effect.

Their fossilized bones visibly protrude from a cliff face inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall, where more than 1,500 dinosaur bones also have been reconstructed as skeletons of Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Camarasaurus, Diplodicus and Stegosaurus, among others.

Indeed, the very science of paleontology has developed here, with the Carnegie Dinosaur Quarry home to 11 species of dinosaurs. And paleontologists still visit the monument to study more about dinosaurs and the little animals that lived among them.

The monument is home to a sizable chunk of the famed Morrison Formation, a rock slab from the Late Jurassic period from 155 million to 148 million years ago. The formation extends throughout the West but left rich deposits of dinosaur bones in river channels, especially, including the nearby Yampa and Green rivers.

Those rivers also explain why this site’s cultural history dates back at least 10,000 years, when Indians depended on the rivers to survive in the desert. Their petroglyphs and pictographs adorn cliffs and canyons throughout the monument.

Earl Douglass is credited with discovering the Carnegie Quarry in 1909, excavating many dinosaur fossils but also becoming one of the first people to suggest that some bones be left in place for public viewing. That’s one of the marvels of Dinosaur National Monument – seeing remains still embedded in stone in the very spot a dinosaur died millions of years ago.

The monument itself is a wonder to behold – with more than 200,000 acres of river canyons, mountains and basins with elevations ranging from less than 4,750 feet to more than 9,000 feet.

Children, who seem to be especially intrigued by the fossilized creatures, can join a Junior Ranger program through which they not only explore the monument, but also get to engage in fun activities that teach them more about the great denizens of ages ago.

But visitors also can cruise the 32-mile scenic drive on Harpers Corner Road, overlooking the dual rivers. They can take the Tour of the Tilted Rocks on the monument’s Utah side, driving 10 miles each way to view an array of upturned rock layers. A shuttle to the Utah side of the monument is the easiest route to explore the Quarry Exhibit Hall, built over the famed Carnegie Dinosaur Quarry.

Visitors also can hike a huge web of trails, beside a river, into a dark box canyon or through a variety of terrain.

And wildlife lovers should keep their eyes peeled for elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn and prairie dogs.

Situated at the base of towering cliffs along the banks of the Green River, the Echo Park Campground provides a camping experience like no other in Dinosaur National Monument.

Location: 11625 East 1500 South, Jensen, UT 84035

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